Vancomycin Prophylaxis for C. difficile Infection

Current Guideline Recommendations

• The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) explicitly states that there is no evidence supporting medical prophylaxis for CDI and therefore does not recommend prophylactic antibiotics 1, 3, 4
• The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) 2017 guidelines do not include recommendations for prophylactic vancomycin use against C. difficile 2, 5, 6
• The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) recommends hand hygiene of hospital personnel as a preventive measure 1
• The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) recommends prompt isolation of patients suspected of having CDI as a preventive measure 1
• The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) recommend prudent use of antibiotics through antibiotic stewardship programs as a preventive measure 2

Important Caveats and Considerations

• The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommends antibiotic stewardship to minimize unnecessary antibiotic use 2
• The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) and the World Journal of Emergency Surgery recommend proper infection control practices as a preventive measure 1, 7
• The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the World Journal of Emergency Surgery recommend discontinuation of unnecessary proton pump inhibitors as a preventive measure 2, 7